


Yin and Yang

by Heather_Night



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, POV Allison Argent, POV Stiles, Pandemics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-13 01:51:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12973104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heather_Night/pseuds/Heather_Night
Summary: Allison’s memory was spotty but she clearly remembered sitting in Chemistry class with Lydia, Scott and Stiles when she began to feel weird.  At the time she hadn’t realized what was happening—no one knew what was happening—but since the transmutation she was taller, stronger, and faster.She was an apex hunter among apex hunters.





	Yin and Yang

**Author's Note:**

> I need to start posting to hit blackout for the Hurt/Comfort Bingo by the first of the year so here's my offering for the pandemics/epidemics prompt. I know Allison and Stiles aren't a popular pairing but I like mixing things up so if you're willing to try something different I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Please let me know if I need to add a tag, or many--despite my best efforts tagging remains an elusive skill set.

Allison’s memory was spotty but she clearly remembered sitting in Chemistry class with Lydia, Scott and Stiles when she began to feel weird. At the time she hadn’t realized what was happening—no one knew what was happening—but since the transmutation she was taller, stronger, and faster.

She was an apex hunter among apex hunters.

Something crashed in the bushes to the left and Allison charged toward the noise. She had been restless for days and a hunt was just the thing to spice things up.

It wasn’t difficult to follow the headlong dash of whatever she was tracking. It could be a wild turkey. Maybe even a wild pig.

If Allison was lucky she was tracking one of the _duos pedes stat lupi_. Even when she thought the phrase, she mentally threw airquotes around it. Allison preferred the common name, Janis-faced, but Lydia had bestowed the Latin mouthful on the new male breed and Allison tried to appease her friend by using it when possible.

Of course Lydia preferred her Latin term for the sisterhood, _femina bellator_. Her friend insisted they keep high standards even though there had been a shift in civilization but Allison preferred keeping things simple and referred to their group in her own head as either the sisterhood or Amazons. Scott’s best friend had gone off on a tangent about Amazons the morning of Allison’s transmutation so it had been on her mind and although she had grown used to her new body, she missed the simpler, very naive, life she’d led before. A time when joking around with her friends, and listening to them talk, had been the highlight of her day.

Allison’s feet flew over the uneven terrain as she easily tracked her prey.

The foliage was beaten down, leaving an easy to follow trail, and Allison followed her quarry right around the huge oak tree. She could sense she was getting closer, she just needed to turn on some more speed.

There really was nothing like the thrill of the chase to get her adrenaline going.

-0-

Stiles paused to catch his breath and that’s when he heard something giving pursuit.

Or someone?

Maybe it was Scott who had left him one year ago, promising to return. Of course no one else who had succombed to the virus had made it back to the school despite pinky swears and pledges. 

Stiles needed a break from Adrian Harris— _that’s Mr. Harris to you, Stiles_ —and that had sent him outside, crossing into unknown territory. He would never find out what had happened to Scott, and the others, if he stayed at the school. 

Things had deterriorated with Harris and Stiles felt his own wellbeing was in jeopardy if he stayed. Physical and mental.

The dislike had always been mutual between the two of them but lately things had taken an even more uncomfortable turn with Harris ordering Stiles around and withholding food as punishment if Stiles didn’t obey. There were mind games, too. It got to the point Stiles preferred to be alone rather under the thumb of the unstable one time teacher. He didn’t wish death upon Harris; no, he was just wishing him far, far away from Stiles.

Stiles grabbed up a broken tree limb, handling it like a baseball bat. He stepped behind the large oak tree and readied himself. If he was lucky, the thing chasing him would run on by and Stiles would get a good look at them.

Stiles had shitty luck though and whatever was running toward him circled right around the tree. He brought the limb around like the barrel of the bat, smooth and strong, but Stiles got a glimpse of what had been chasing him and he tried to pull his swing.

What had he thought about having shitty luck? The limb busted over the head of...Allison Argent?

More like Allison Argent on steroids.

The face was simliar but this person—definitely a woman with those mammary glands straining at the v-neck—was tall. Like more than six inches taller than Stiles tall. Stiles wasn’t a shrimp, he’d topped out at around 5’10” which was a very respectable height, thank you very much, but this woman towered over him.

At least she did until the limb in his hands made contact with her head and she slumped to the ground.

Stiles’s line of sight drifted away from the still face. Did he mention her full breasts? Stiles thought those breasts would fill his hands marvelously but he jerked his eyes away from that part of her anatomy. Was he was perving on his best friend’s first girlfriend, assuming that girl friend had one helluva growth spurt? He felt like he was violating the bro-code. 

“Ally?” 

The woman lying on the ground had to be Scotty’s first girlfriend. Same pale skin. Same red lips. Same cheekbones. 

Stiles had considered Ally his friend. He’d surprised everyone, including himself, by being completely supportive of his best friend’s first romance, surprising because that meant he got to spend less time with his brother-from-another-mother. Sometimes Allison and Scott hung out with Stiles but after they’d broken up, Stiles only saw Allison at school. She was always nice to him though.

Allison was pretty, smart, fun and level-headed. If Scott could land himself a girl like that Stiles had thought his chances were equally good. Unfortunately he was still a virgin at the ripe old age of 18 and he had no prospects of a status change seeing as all of the ladies, as well as the men, had disappeared. 

Except for Harris.

And Harris...just no. 

Stiles dropped the limb and then dropped to his knees. Pushing a mass of soft, silky hair away from the side of her head, Stiles looked for blood or other evidence of injury. 

There was a small lump beneath his fingers. If this had been two years ago he’d have taken his friend to the ER room. Perhaps it wasn’t that serious and an icepack would help. Unfortunately neither was option.

Stiles stared down at the famailiar, yet also different, face.

He startled a little as her eyelids sprung open. He’d recognize those deep brown eyes anywhere. 

Stiles’s lips began to curve into a tentative smile. He’d apologize for hitting her and then hopefully they could talk some.

-0-

Allison woke up to find a shape hovering over her.

Before she could check her instincts, she wrapped her hands around the neck of the person looming over her. The figure was slight so it was an easy matter to flip them over, pinning them to the ground.

Big, golden brown eyes stared up at her and Allison recognized the face.

Stiles.

Before she could remove her hands from his neck, his eyes rolled up into his head.

That was the catalyst needed to halt her attack. Allison’s hands dropped from the long neck and trailed up to cup his pale cheeks. 

Stiles hadn’t succombed to the Janus-faced virus. His face had thinned, cheekbones previously buried under a layer of puppy fat thrown into sharp relief, but that was to be expected with the passage of time.

What wasn’t expected were the hollows beneath the boy’s collarbones that were visible from where his plaid shirt gaped open.

Allison catalogued her injuries and realized the ache in her head was already easing. Had Stiles knocked her out? If he had, why had he waited to finish her off?

Until she had the answers, Allison wasn’t going to take any chances. She pulled out a leather thong holding her heavy hair away from her face and wrapped it around Stiles’s wrists.

Wrists that were also too slim and bony. In fact the only part of his anatomy that didn’t seem to be too thin was the broad shoulders straining the cotton material of his shirt. 

Also the package Allison was resting her ass over seemed to have some length but she schooled her thoughts away from that. If she started thinking about sex she’d never figure out what Stiles was doing here in Amazon territory.

She also wanted to know why she and the sisterhood had physically changed into a new species, as most of the males had become Janus-faced, and yet Stiles remained the same.

A pure human untouched by the epidemic was unheard of—either you underwent transmutation or you died. At least that was Lydia’s theory.

Except Stiles was clearly still alive. Or at least he had been before Allison had squeezed her large hands around his neck, suffocating him.

Stiles’s chest rose and fell; he was alive.

Gathering up her bow and bag, Allison hefted Stiles up over her shoulder, easily bearing his weight. It was hard to judge with an unconscious man draped over her shoulder but she guessed that she was six inches taller and fifty pounds heavier. Not to mention far stronger.

Stiles seemed absolutely dainty in her arms.

Deciding it was best to get her answers before she exposed the sisterhood to Stiles—or exposed the fragile human to them—Allison headed off to the cabin by the lake.

No one should be there at this time of year and she wasn’t expected back in the settlement for two days.

That gave her time and place to figure out what the hell was going on.

Allison hand slapped the nicely curved ass but Stiles draped over her shoulder like a wet towel, not even twitching. She was torn between wanting to slap him awake and taking care of the delicate male. 

She had to hand it to her one-time friend; she’d been restless and bored and he’d just provided the perfect diversion.

-0-

Stiles cracked his eyes open and the sight that greeted him was encouraging; rounded buttocks flexing as the person carrying him took each step.

What wasn’t encouraging was the way his neck throbbed and his head ached with each jarring step.

He lifted his hand to touch to his head but both hands lifted. _What the fuck?_ His hands were bound by leather. He also lacked the strength to hold them both up, which was disconcerting. 

The day that had started with such promise—getting away from Harris and finding Ally—had quickly deteriorrated.

Stiles groaned as he dropped his hands, as much from the pain in his body as the unhappiness with his circumstance. 

“Stiles, are you awake?” Allison’s voice was deeper than he remembered.

Opening his mouth to respond, Stiles barely managed a, “Ummm.”

Stiles’s position changed more quickly than his body could accomodate and his vision grayed out. 

“Stiles?” A sharp tap on his cheek rocked his head. “Oops! Sorry.”

At least Allison wasn’t trying to hurt him. Imagine the damage she could do if she actively tried?

That reminded him—he owed her an apology.

“I’m sorry I hit you. I didn’t know who was chasing me.” At least he wasn’t slurring his words. Then his memory kicked in more. “Did you strangle me?”

Stiles lifted his line of vision up to where Allison’s head should’ve been if she was kneeling next to him, and Stiles definitely knew he was on the ground because his ass hurt, and he took in that magnificent bossom. He forced his sightline farther upward and found Ally crinkling her nose.

“Well I didn’t know who hit me. I’m sorry, too.” Allison cocked her head to the side and Stiles remembered all of the times he’d observed that mannersim; it was pure Ally and it brought a flood of tears to his eyes.

Closing his eyes to compose himself, Stiles realized he was dizzy. He was also chilled but maybe that was from working up a sweat and then sitting on the hard, cool ground. He tried lifting his hand to his throat and encountered the same problem as before with his hands being bound together; he lacked the energy to hold the aloft.

Stiles’s fingers curled in the material of Allison’s shirt. He needed something to cling to. Something wasn’t right. In fact it was very, very wrong. 

“I don’t feel so good.” Did he say that out loud? His brain to mouth filter was off again.

The ringing in his ears made it difficult to hear anything and the dizziness hit a crescendo, his body slumping as it tried to compensate.

Stiles was actually okay with the thought of passing out.

Anything to avoid feeling like this.

-0-

The cabin was dusty and damp but it provided the best shelter around at the moment. Allison lowered Stiles to the floor, displeased when his eyes remained stubbornly closed.

She might’ve thought he was faking unconsciousness but she could tell by how lax his body was that wasn’t the case. Arranging his limbs so they weren’t sprawled haphazardly, Allison set about retrieving the bedding she left sealed in plastic the last time she was here.

It didn’t take long for her to construct a nest and move the slack limbed male to it. 

Allison touched Stiles’s brow and frowned at the heat. Fever.

Grabbing a pail in one hand and her bow in the other, Allison left the cabin and headed for the lake. There were no tracks around and the birds chirped their usual birdsong; the area was undisturbed.

Returning to the cabin, Allison dipped a cloth into the pail, wringing excess water from it before dabbing at Stiles’s face.

The damp cloth worked its magic and soon Allison was staring into the startled gaze of a woodland creature. At least that’s what Stiles most closely resembled in Allison’s opinion with his wide, brown eyes and cute upturned nose. The moles dotting his face were exotic and eyecatching.

Allison needed to forget about how cute her little friend was and focus on taking care of him. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

“A little shaky. What happened? Where are we?” At least Stiles was aware enought to ask questions. Seeing her friend so motionless—Stiles never stopped moving—had been worrying.

She dipped the cloth into the pail again, wringing it out, placing it across Stiles’s forehead. “You’re sick so I brought you to this cabin. Once you’re feeling better I’ll take you to the settledment if you want.”

“The settlement?” Stiles squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them back up. Allison could tell he was fighting the effects of some virus but she suspected in Stiles’s emaciated state, a simple cold could lay him out.

“I live with other woman like me. We all went through a transmutation. A change if you prefer. We protect our territory.” Allison wasn’t sure how much Stiles was tracking at the moment. His eyelids kept slipping down but he kept forcing them back up. Stubborn.

“You’re all Amazons?” Stiles gestured feebly at Allison.

Allison grinned at Stiles word choice, remembering the day of her transmutation. “Yes, we’re all Amazons. Although Lydia prefers femina bellator. I guess I think of us as the sisterhood.”

“Lydia made it? That’s great you’re with your best friend.” Stiles coughed but he raised his hand, muffling it. Her friend had always been rambuncious but he’d been polite to her. Some things didn’t change apparently, even after some virus either wiped the population out or changed them.

“The girls changed it what you see before you and the guys, well they changed into what I call the Janus-faced. Lydia prefers duos pedes stat lupi.” Allison watched Stiles’s big brain fire away as he frowned.

“Wait. Werewolves? Seriously?” Stiles coughed again. 

Lydia was the smartest person Allison knew but Stiles was right up there. “Yes, seriously.”

“You haven’t seen anyone else around, have you?” Stiles tried to raise an arm but he was trapped beneath the blanket.

“Like who?” Allison sat back on her heels, intrigued. Stiles was the first non-transmutated human she’d seen since the epidemic.

“I’ve been living at the high school with Adrian Harris. He wasn’t very pleased when I left. Scotty was supposed to come back for me, but well, I haven’t seen him in over a year.” Stiles bit his lip.

Had Stiles’s lips always been so pink and full? The upper lip had the perfect little bow and his lower lip was lush. 

Allison shook herself. Something about Stiles’s tone was off. “Wait. Did Harris threaten you?” She ignored the part about Scott; she knew Scott was alive and well.

All of Allison’s protective instincts were clamoring to do something about Adrian Harris. Stiles was small and vulnerable and how dare someone threaten him. Or worse.

“Harris was never very pleasant in the best of times. As civilization declined, so did his patience.” Stiles looked away. His eyes were glazed and he shivered.

Her interrogation would have to wait. “I’m going to make you something to eat. Don’t go anywhere, okay?” Allison tucked the blankets more securely around the fragile looking male.

Stiles smiled muzzily at her. “You’re a funny lady.”

Allison waited until Stiles was asleep. At least she thought it was sleep. His lips were parted and he was wheezing a bit. It was no worse than when Scott had slight asthma but Allison didn’t like it.

She wanted to talk to her energetic, sarcastic friend. Although he was so slight now. Fragile was the adjective she kept circling back to. Allison wanted to scoop him up and just hug him.

Or do something to him.

Maybe once Stiles was healthy again Allison wouldn’t feel like such a perv for checking out her ex-boyfriend’s best friend. Her ex-boyfriend’s best friend who was sleeping and sick.

Allison hadn’t seen a male except for glimpses of the Janus-faced in over a year and her hormones were taking notice. 

Stiles had always been attractive but that buzzed haircut had made him look like he was twelve. Now, hair grown out, he looked like a man. 

A man Allison wanted to protect and take care of.

Maybe that was her hormones talking, too.

First Allison would nurse Stiles back to health and then take him home. Time would tell whether it was just hormones or something else.

-0-

Stiles didn’t really walk into the settlement, it was more a stagger, and as far as entrances it was definitely lacking.

The faces surrounding him blurred until he heard a familiar voice.

“Really, Allison? _He_ certianly doesn’t belong here.”

Lydia Martin. His one time strawberry blond goddess. At least until Stiles had realized it wasn’t unresolved sexual tension but actual dislike on Lydia’s part. Nothing killed infatuation like unbridled disgust.

The unbridled disgust had faded to tolerance when Scott had dated Allison but there had been no mistaking Lydia wouldn’t touch Stiles, not even with a ten-foot pole. Contrary to popular belief, Stiles could take a hint and he’d backed off. Somewhere out there was a female who would fall for his charm.

“Stiles hasn’t turned, Lydia. He’s sick and injured and there was no way I was just going to leave him out there alone.” Stiles moved closer to Allison as she defended her actions.

“He sure is a cute little thing. Can I have him when you’re done with him?” Stiles turned his head and made eye contact with a blond bombshell.

Erica Reyes? Oh boy. The transmutation had been muy, muy kind to her.

The look on her face though...it was anything but kind. It was intense and Stiles wasn’t sure if he was about to end up as a course on her dinner table or what exactly she planned for him.

Erica leered at him and...oh. Before things had changed Stiles might’ve been flattered, thought the girl, make that woman, wanted to sex him up. This was, quite frankly, frightening. Stiles thought his virtue might be in danger, a thought that had never ever crossed his mind before. He’d been so busy plotting ways to lose his virginity he’d never thought he’d be in a situation where having that happen was scary.

“Erica!” Allison barked and the blond pouted but she didn’t move any closer.

“You know the rules, Allison. The femina bellator have to vote whenever someone new is brought into the settlement.” Lydia loomed over him. Stiles remembered when he had the height advantage over the very petite girl but now she had a solid two or three inches on him and she wasn’t afraid to use it as she stepped into his personal space. “Anyway, what could he possibly have to offer us? I mean look at him!”

Over the years Stiles had endured judgment as he was too klutzy or mouthy or smart-assed or whatever to be considered popular or even acceptable to the ‘in’ crowd. Nearly last to be picked for any team, the only friend Stiles had after fourth grade had been Scott.

He thought he was over the hurt of not being good enough but nope, it still stung. His head was woozy and his joints ached and he really just wanted to sit down but Allison had warned him he couldn’t look weak, not in front of these females. 

Allison put her arm around his shoulders. Stiles tried to stand on his own two feet but he needed her strength. Maybe it would’ve been humilliating if he’d felt better.

“Stiles is smart and he thinks outside of the box. We could use someone like that as we figure out how to raise crops and livestock.” She stood tall and her voice boomed across the area. 

Erica piped up. “You’re right. Stiles was not only a cutie pie but he was scary smart.”

_Cutie pie?_

Lydia snorted; it was the most unladylike thing Stiles had ever witnessed her do. “He’s going to take up valuable resources. I vote he’s out.” 

Stiles trembled against Allison. He wished he could open his mouth and say something clever but remaining on his feet was taking everything he had.

“I’ll work enough for two then. I think Stiles will give us the advantage we need and take some of the burden off of figuring out how to make things work. Lydia, you’re absolutely brilliant but you can’t do it all and the rest of us need to stay vigilant in case someone challenges our territory. I vote Stiles stays.”

“I’m with Allison. If Stiles fucks up we’ll toss him out later.” Stiles wouldn’t exactly say Eria had his back but she at least supported Allison to some degree.

Allison was the best.

The other Amazons called out ‘stay’ or ‘out’ and Stiles let out a sigh of relief when the final talley was in his favor. 

“I’m going to bed down for the night. We’ll talk in the morning.” Allison addressed the whole group but she sought out Lydia specifically.

The woman’s lips were pursed but she nodded.

Allison kept her arm around his shoulders and guided him away from the semi hostile throng of females. 

Stiles needed to thank Allison for her passionate defense but his reserves gave out as soon as they crossed the threshold. His vision sparkled with pretty colors as his knees sagged.

He was out before he hit the ground.

-0-

Allison caught Stiles before he hit the floor. It was downright scary how one moment he was upright and functional and the next he was passed out.

Getting Lydia and the sisterhood to accept Stiles’s presence had been the first obstacle and they’d barely overcome it. Now the smaller male was unconscious again and Allison didn’t know how to help him. Lydia would be a great source of information but Allison couldn’t go to her for help, not after Lydia had argued to get rid of Stiles.

It wasn’t that Allison didn’t understand Lydia’s point of view. It’s just that it was Stiles. Quirky, smart, loyal and adorable Stiles.

Allison hefted the male into her arms and took him into the next room where she laid him out on her pallet. She would keep him hydrated and comfortable and hopefully by tomorrow he would regain some more strength and sass.

She was pulling the bedding up to keep him warm when a brisk knock on the door made Allison groan. “Come in.”

“It’s me. I brought some water and food for you and your barnacle.” Lydia hovered outside of the sleep area and Allison blocked her view.

“Really, Lydia, barnacle?” 

“Would you prefer leach?”

“No, I would prefer friend. Stiles is my friend. For some reason he wasn’t infected like the rest of us and he’s had a rough go of things.” Allison continued to block her friend’s view. She didn’t want Lydia sharing with anyone else how weakened Stiles was at the moment.

“He’s had a rough go of things? What about the rest of us!” Lydia set the pitcher and sandwiches down on the little table. 

“At least we had each other. Stiles had Adrian Harris and from what I’ve gathered, that didn’t go well.” Allison gentled her voice. She was irritated with her best friend but she wouldn’t win Lydia around if she contined to be so defensive. When Lydia sensed a weakness she went for the kill.

Lydia’s brow crinkled in consternation. “Fine, I’ll give you that. So what’s with the boy wonder now? He looked sick. Are you sure he’s not changing?”

“I think Harris was starving him and then Stiles and I tussled before I knew it was him. He’s malnourished, sick and injured. But Lydia, when he knocked me out he didn’t try to hurt me.”

“ _He_ knocked you out? You must be joking.” Lydia crossed her arms as she stared at Allison.

Allison crossed her arms and stared right back. “Yes. Stiles has always been resourceful. I was chasing what I thought was a wild pig and when I ran around the oak tree, Stiles laid me out with a branch. I woke up to him checking me for injuries, apologizing for hitting me.”

She left out the part about being confused and nearly strangling Stiles when she woke up. 

Lydia snorted. “You were chasing a wild pig all right, one with two legs instead of four.” Her friend moved closer. “Allison, please don’t get too attached to Stiles. I don’t want you to be hurt if he doesn’t make it.”

“Jesus, Lydia. Why would he die?” Allison stared hard at her friend. It was either that or turn around and check on Stiles and she still didn’t want Lydia to sense weakness on her part, or on Stiles’s. 

“He’s obviously sick. If he didn’t tansmutate during the pandemic then his immune system won’t be as strong as ours.” Lydia no longer sounded hostile but Allison didn’t like this softer side of her friend any better; Allison didn’t need her pity. Stiles couldn’t die. 

“Maybe his immune system is strong. Think about it, maybe that’s why Stiles wasn’t affected by the change!” Allison knew she was grasping at straws but she couldn’t stop herself.

“The male I saw out there tonight is sick. Maybe with proper nourishment he’ll improve but I think the damage has been done, his immune system has been compromised through lack of even basic nutrition. He’s always going to be at disadvantage around the femina bellator because we’re stronger athan he is. I wasn’t kidding when I said he was going to suck up valuable resources.” Lydia’s voice had gentled. She was no longer aggressively trying to sell her point of view. Instead it was as though she was trying to cushion Allison from some sort of blow. The pity thing again.

After what Allison considered to be a long suffereing sigh, her friend gestured to the table. “See if you can get him to eat something and make sure he stays hydrated. I’ll see if I can find something to bring down his fever.”

The shorter Amazon squeezed Allison’s forearm and then left the structure.

Allison grabbed the pitcher and then went to where she kept her kitchware and grabbed a cup. It was pink and purple and looked out of place in the dark hut.

Turning back Allison headed to Stiles’s side and couldn’t help but think the smaller male was as equally out of place in her living space as the brightly colored cup. She vowed to change that.

Stiles was her friend. He was funny and lively and smart. Cute, too.

Now she needed to make sure he stayed alive long enough to prove to everyone else.

-0-

Stiles woke up feeling better than he had since, well, maybe since Scott had started to turn and left him behind.

“You’re awake. Good. Lydia brought something to bring your fever down and you’re due for another dose.” Blinking his eyes to clear his vision, Stiles smiled at the beautiful angel hovering above him.

Before Stiles could say anything, Allison was levering him up, slipping him pills and offering him water. Stiles cradled the plastic cup feebly, grateful when Allison held it to his mouth. When he had finished the water, she settled him back against some pillows.

“You’re looking better. How do you feel?” The Amazon watched him carefully. 

Stiles stared back. He couldn’t get over the changes wrought by the epidemic, or pandemic as Lydia had referred to it. At any rate Allison had always been beautiful. Now she was not only beautiful, there was just more of her to appreciate.

“Hello? Earth to Stiles!” Allison sang out but she continued to have a very serious expression on her face. Too serious.

“I think I’m on the mend. Thank you, Ally. Seriously. Thank you for taking care of me and letting me stay with you.” Stiles’s voice was hoarse from disuse and he brought his hand to his throat. He grimaced as he made contact with the skin; he’d forgotten he was bruised.

Allison frowned and Stiles wanted to smooth away the lines between her eyes. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Stiles gestured to his throat. “Nah. It takes more than a few bruises to hold a Stilinski down.”

Rolling her eyes, Allison sat on the edge of the pallet. It wasn’t a bed with box springs but it was definitely comfortable. Stiles didn’t want to leave it. Ever.

“So I don’t know how much you remember about our return to the settlement last night.” Allison was looking down at her folded hands. They were larger than before but still feminine. Capable and graceful, just like Allison.

“I remember almost being voted off of the island but you, and surprisingly Erica Reyes, stuck up for me. I don’t want to make waves for you, Ally. Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?” Stiles watched the woman carefully, surprised when she almost blinded him with a toothy smile and dimples.

“You know you’re the only person who calls me Ally? I like it. And yes, I want you here. You’re my friend.” Allison took his hand and held it gently.

Stiles had always considered his hands to be huge with freakishly long fingers. He’d always hypothesized they were one reason he was so uncoordinated. That of course didn’t account for the things his legs did but still, it was a working hypothesis. 

“Can I ask you something? It’s kind of personal.” In Stiles’s experience, questions that started like that usually didn’t end well for him.

However, Allison had pretty much saved his life and he owed her. “Shoot.”

“What do you think happened with Scott?”

Yep, the question jabbed into his chest like a sharp knife.

Allison filled the void, a job Stiles usually took care of. “I mean you explained what an asshole Harris was to you but I thought you said Scott was going to come back for you.” 

Stiles looked away from Allison’s pretty face. “I don’t know. I’m afraid something bad happened to him. I mean something must’ve happened because there’s no way he’d leave me alone with Harris.”

This time Allison didn’t rush to fill the void.

Stiles raised his face and noticed the frown marring Allison’s features. She smoothed the frown away but Stiles couldn’t un-see it. “What? You know something. Come on, Allison. Please. Tell me what you know. I can take it.”

Stiles braced for awful news. He could take it. After all, he’d been the one to hike over to his house and find his father, dead. He’d been the one to bury the man he’d looked up to his whole life all by himself.

Allison gnawed on her lower lip. “Stiles, Scott’s alive.”

Pitching forward with a jolt, Stiles almost knocked Allison from the pallet. “What? Where he is? I need to find him.”

Strong hands pushed him back until he was propped against the pillows again. Damn but Allison was strong.

“Scott is fine. He’s with a bunch of other Janus-faced males from Beacon Hills.”

Stiles blinked hard. Stared. Blinked again.

_Does not compute._

“That doesn’t make sense. He promised he’d come back for me.”

Allison cupped his cheek, held eye contact. “Stiles, I’ve seen him with my own eyes. He’s fine.”

“Then why didn’t he come back?”

“I don’t know.” Allison drew him into a hug but the wound was too fresh. 

He pushed her away. “I want to get up.”

When Allison didn’t respond he looked up and Allison had her arms crossed, eyes narrowed. “What? Am I prisoner here?”

As Stiles said it he remembered the way Allison had trussed him up when they’d first met. The way the Amazons hadn’t wanted him to be in there settlement. Lydian’s scathing remarks.

With a sigh, Allison said, “Let me get you something to eat and then we’ll walk down to the lake so you can get cleaned up.”

That didn’t answser whether or not Stiles was a prisoner but getting cleaned up sounded heavenly.

“Thanks.”

Stiles barely registered Allison’s departure as he thought on her words. 

_Why hadn’t Scott kept his word?_

_Was Allison lying to him?_

His head hurt and this time it wasn’t from the stupid virus or getting choked out.

-0-

Allison kept her word. She’d brought food back for Stiles and then helped him down to the lake so she could draw water and he could scrub up.

It was at times like this Allison missed running water. Not for her sake, but because the chill air was making Stiles shiver. She had wrapped a towel around his waist and another around his shoulders but it was still too cold for him to be this wet.

Stiles plunged his head into the bucket to rinse off his hair and came up gasping. “Oh, that’s bracing.”

Allison handed him her last towel and when he was too slow to take it, she pulled him forward until she could blot the liquid from his face and then rub the towel through his hair. It was the longest she’d ever seen on him with uneven layers that would wave and curl becomingly when dry. Allison was pretty sure it would be difficult to keep her hands off of the silky texture.

The same went for Stiles. With his big gold colored eyes, long eyelashes and pink bowed lips he was the prettiest thing Allison had seen in over a year. Not that she’d tell Stiles that.

She tried to keep her mind on getting Stiles dry and warm.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt; they were both tight on her so she thought they might fit Stiles.

She handed the clean clothing to him and he raised a brow. “Um, thanks.”

Allison held her hand out. “If you hand me your clothing I’ll go ahead and wash it for you.”

“Allison, you don’t have to wash my clothes for me. I can do that.” Stiles wiped some moisture from his neck. Allison averted her eyes from the purple bruising ringing his long neck. 

“Then get dressed already so we can get them washed and get you back home.” She didn’t roll her eyes but it was a near thing.

Turning away to give the male some privacy, Allison surveyed the surroundings and was satisfied no one was around.

“Okay, I’m clothed now. Can I wash my stuff in the pail?”

Allison turned around and had to fight the smile threatening to break over her face.

Her clothing, which she’d pilfered from a Tall and Big store, practically drowned the smaller male in material. The henley slipped to the side, baring lots of skin, hanging at a sexy angle. The pants were also too large and Stiles had folded the waistband down and rolled the legs up but he was still swimming in them.

Is this how guys used to feel when their girlfriends wore their clothing? Stiles was so freaking cute. 

And sexy.

“Allison?”

Oops, she’d been caught staring. “Yeah, we can wash them in the pail.”

It didn’t take long before Stiles’s jeans, flannel shirt and underwear had been scoured clean. Allison quickly took care of washing the towels while Stiles caught his breath from all of the exertion. “Let’s head back and we can hang these on a clothesline I have.”

Stiles had more natural color on his face, the fevered cheeks and pale skin faded away, but he was still subdued. Damn Scott for spoiling things.

Ugh. Sometimes talking about feelings was a pain in the ass. “Stiles, I’m sorry about what I said before.”

“You mean about Scott leaving me behind?”

Well technically she hadn’t said that but yes, it was what she’d meant. “I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason. I’m just sorry you were stuck with Harris for so long.”

Allison knew Stiles hadn’t shared everything with her and the thought of her friend in need of protection but stuck with the one person who wouldn’t give it to him made her angry. Or frustrated. Or sad. She couldn’t decide.

Emotions were messy.

“Thanks, Ally. I guess I should just be grateful Scotty’s still alive.

Allison linker her arm with Stiles and they walked in companionable silience.

That was at least one crisis averted. Now she needed to get Stiles up to full strength so he could show the sisterhood what an amazing person he was, even if he was unchanged.

-0-

Stiles was supposed to be picking edibles but at the moment he was enjoying the crisp air and bright sunshine. He’d been sequestered with Lydia for what felt like forever, discussing plans for planting season, and his healing body had the urge to move around.

He grinned as he remembered Lydia threatening to tie him down if he fidgeted one more time and Allison interrupting, suggesting Stiles do something physical like get out of Lydia’s sight. He’d happily acquiesced.

Lydia wasn’t so bad but Allison was absolutely amazing.

Something moved in his peripheral vision and Stiles turned—

“Scott!” Unbridled happiness sang through Stiles’s blood. “You’re okay!”

His best friend was alive. 

Scott was alive just like Allison had said. He looked perfectly fine. The volume of his voice moderated. “Why didn’t you come back for me?”

Stiles tried to be honest with himself, he knew he had abandonment issues. The funny things was, Scott knew it, too. 

“You don’t understand.” Scott twisted the hem of his ragged top in his hands.

“No. I don’t.” Scott seemed healthy. Hale and hearty even. There were no signs of asthma in his voice; no breathy tone or audible wheezing. Why hadn’t he returned for Stiles?

The blood rushed from Stiles’s head, making him dizzy. He hadn’t believed Allison could be right. He’d been so certain his BFF would always be there for him.

“Just let me explain.” Scott pleaded with his eyes.

Stiles threw an arm out, a silent invitation to speak. 

Scott frowned. “I’m a werewolf now.”

Stiles stared. Waited.

Shoulders hunching, Scott sighed. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”

“I do believe you.” Scott’s head snapped up at Stiles’s admission. Stiles forged onward although his heart felt like a chunk of ice in his chest. “But that doesn’t explain why you didn’t come back for me.” 

“They told me you wouldn’t believe me. That you’d try to hurt me. Hurt us.” The wheedling tone Stiles found so off-putting colored his friend’s words.

Stiles’s continued silence didn’t seem to sit well with Scott who shifted his weight from foot to foot. A lot had changed in Stiles since Scott had left him behind. For one he didn’t rush to fill every silence. Of course Scott wouldn’t know that since he hadn’t been around.

“Stiles, the guys I’m with...they wouldn’t know how to act around you. I’m like them and you’re...not. I was trying to protect you.”

Another voice broke the charged silence. “Scott, come on. The others are waiting.”

It sounded like Isaac Lahey. Isaac and Stiles had never gotten along. There’d been a subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, tug of war for Scott’s affections between the two of them for over a year before the pandemic.

Scott liked helping people who needed it and even though Stiles didn’t like Isaac, the guy had a rough home life. Isaac had needed Scott’s friendship and Stiles...apparently hadn’t. 

“Listen, Stiles, I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll try to come back and check on you but I’m not supposed to be in this territory.” 

“Scott!” Isaac emerged from behind a tree. He didn’t even acknowledge Stiles. 

“I have to go.” Stiles didn’t argue; there didn’t seem to be a point. 

Despite his words, Scott didn’t go anywhere. Maybe he was waiting for Stiles to aknowledge him.

“Goodbye, Scott.”

Stiles had always wondered if their friendship would survive. He knew it was normal to grow apart from childhood friends. His dad had once told him that had happened to him, that he’d lost touch with his good friends in high school. At the time Stiles had been horrified—for so long Scott had been his only friend and he couldn’t imagine not hanging out together. His circle of acquaintances had expanded due to the Scott-adjacent friends but there’d only been one friend, his best friend, he could really count on.

Until he couldn’t.

“Come on, Stiles. Let’s go home.” Allison appeared at his side. She wrapped a hand around his upper arm and turned him around, leading him away.

Stiles wasn’t alone. At least until Allison got tired of him.

He heard footfalls closing in around him. 

Allison said something; it was more of a barked command than a request.

Her Amazons fanned out, or at least moved far away so Stiles could no longer hear them.

Normally he liked watching them move. Liked watching Allison take charge.

Right now he struggled to keep his feet moving. 

-0-

“How is he?” Lydia joined Allison at the table, sinking gracefully down across from her.

“He’ll be okay.” Allison was still leery of sharing anything with anyone, including her best friend, that might lead them to think Stiles was weak. The Amazons were a tight unit and she didn’t want them going after the weak link. 

Not that Allison thought Stiles was weak. 

Stiles was smart, funny and brave. And he was hers. Hers to protect and to cherish. She would do just about anything to keep Stiles safe, including fight those around her if that was required. These feelings were new to her, and also very uncomfortable. 

Lydia sighed, setting the bowl down she’d been holding in her hands.  
Tonight’s meal was simple—a venison soup chock full of vegetables. It had been tasty and despite her worry, Allison had finished two huge helpings of it.

“I know he’ll be okay. Stiles is resilient. He’s strong, too, although I’ll deny it if you tell him I said that. I just wondered how he’s holding up after his confrontation with those _duos pedes stat lupi_. He didn’t come out for dinner.” Lydia cocked her head to the side, assessing Allison. Maybe judging her.

Screw it. Allison could trust Lydia. What did they have and if they didn’t have trust? “Scott was Stiles’s best friend, maybe only friend, and he didn’t even come back to see how he was doing. He said something about trying to protect Stiles by staying away but I think Stiles took it as some sort of...,” Allison paused, trying to find the right word.

Lydia jumped in. “I think the word you’re searching for is betrayal. But what did Stiles expect? Scott’s a fool. A good-natured, well intentioned one but still a fool.”

“That’s funny, you didn’t tell me you thought he was a fool when I was dating him.” Allison lifted an eyebrow. It didn’t bother her—she had figured out they weren’t well suited for each other—but Lydia had been nothing but encouraging. In another life.

“Yeah, well, Scott was hot. You two had good chemistry there for a while until you outgrew him.” Lydia looked over her shoulder toward the earther sheltered hut where she stayed with Stiles. She refocused on Allison, shoving the bowl toward her. “Here.”

“I already ate.” Allison scrunched her nose. Lydia was acting weird.

The other woman rolled her eyes. “It’s for Stiles. I won’t make a habit of waiting on him but I could use his help with some ideas I have and I need him to keep up his strength.’

Bemused, Allison nodded her head. Lydia had been the strongest propenent for kicking Stiles out when Allison had first brought him to their settlment. “All right. I’ll pass that along.” Allison reached across the table and clasped Lydia’s forearm. “Thank you.”

Lydia smiled before excusing herself. It was time Allison returned to her abode anyway. 

Allison entered the small two room homestead. She’d hoped Stiles would be in the front room, reading. Bending over so as not to smack her head, Allison moved into the bedroom. Stiles was on the pallet, shivering beneath a blanket. She could see the gleam of white in his eyes despite the gloom; he was awake.

“Lydia sent a bowl of stew for you.”

Stiles sat up, looking past Allison toward the front room where they had some fixtures to let in natural light, taking in the fast approaching dusk.

“I didn’t realize it was so late.” Stiles shifted his attention to her and tried to smile. It was painful to witness. “Thanks for stew.”

Allison kneeled down on the pallet and handed Stiles the bowl. He took a few bits and then proceded to push things around, rearranging them but not actually consuming the life sustaining nutrients.

Stiles was still too thin and according to Lydia that impacted his immune syste; he was at risk for catching viruses like the one that had laid him low when she first found him. Tomorrow Allison would make sure he ate more. For now she’d consider the few bites a victory.

When Stiles handed the bowl back to her, she put it in the make-shift ice box although it was currently devoid of anything cooling. It was nestled against the cool earth though and that kept things from spoiling right away. If Stiles was hungry later she could offer him more stew. 

She grabbed the flask she kept for medicinal purposes. 

Allison returned to the pallet, kneeling down next to it. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Stiles didn’t make a joke, or pretend he didn’t know to what Allison referred; he glanced down, shaking his head. 

“I’m sorry.”

Allison startled at the apology. “For what?”

“I didn’t believe you when you said Scott was alive. I guess I didn’t want to believe he would cut me out of his life like that. I mean he left me with Harris. Did he think things were going to end well?” Stiles whispered the last words and it bothered Allison she couldn’t do anything to mitigate his pain. Except offer comfort. 

Allison suspected Stiles rebuffed her gentle advances citing his friendship with Scott. She tried not to get her hopes up but maybe some day things would change between them. For now the male needed a friend. 

Allison held the flask out. “Here.”

Taking the stainless steel vessel, Stiles unscrewed the cap and took a long pull. In the waning light Allison could see Stiles’s face flush from the internal heat of the whiskey.

Stiles held the flask out. “You?”

Allison demured. “One of us better keep their wits about them.” 

“I don’t think alcohol is the answer. Would it be okay, I mean you don’t have to, but maybe you could...” Stiles fumbled the lid back on to the flask as he fumbled his request.

“Can I hold you?” It was what Allison craved. 

“God, yes. That. Please.” Stiles handed the whiskey back and Allison stashed it before she kneeled down next to Stiles again.

He held the corner of the blanket up and Allison took that as the final sign to take control.

It took a little maneuvering but soon she was spooning tightly behind Stiles, his ass cradled against her groin. 

She gave her body a stern talking to—now was not the time to put the moves on the male cuddled in her arms—and concentrated on holding him as close to her body as she could without accidentally suffocating him. 

It was too early to sleep but Allison was content to hold Stiles in her arms. After a while they could get up and tend to their nightly needs in the bathhouse.

For now they could just be.

-0-

Stiles was restless. When he volunteered to gather some edible plants, Allison had frowned thoughtfully but had wished him well. 

Allison was being thoughtful. Supportive. Kind. All of the things Stiles didn’t feel he deserved. Maybe if he moved around, got outside of his own head, things would be better.

Giving a wide berth to something shrublike with three scalloped leaflets, Stiles headed into the partial shade. He’d once mixed it up with Poison Oak and although it just caused a rash the occasion was memorable and one he didn’t wish to repeat.

There. Asperagus. It made his pee smell woody but Allison loved it and that alone was enough to have him kneeling down to collect them. He pulled the plants out and tucked them into the bag looped over his shoulder. 

“Stiles.”

Whipping around, Stiles saw Scott standing ten feet away in the shrubs Stiles had taken care to avoid. “What do you want?”

So much for getting out of his head. 

Scott started scratching idly at his bare arm. “I didn’t like the way we left things the last time I saw you. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“Aren’t you worried I’m going to hurt you?” Stiles threw back the words Scott had used on him the other day.

His friend shook his head. “I wasn’t thinking straight. I thought you’d be safer with Harris. Where is he, anyway?”

Safer with Harris? Stiles’s hands fisted at his sides and for a moment he literally saw red. 

The anger quickly drained away. No one liked Harris but Stiles didn’t think anyone had suspected just how unhinged the man had become. Anyone other than Stiles; he’d always been leery of the way Harris looked at him and the things he said when no one else was around but Scott just told him he was being paranoid. 

Stiles heard rustling and worry set in. Not worry for himself, but worry for Allison and the others. What if this was some sort of ploy? Then again what could the Janus-faced want with him?

It didn’t matter, something was niggling at him and he wouldn’t feel right until he knew everyone was okay. “I need to get back before Allison sounds the alarm.”

Scott frowned heavily at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. Before he could comment, Stiles pointed at the shrubs. “You might want to move out of that shrubbery—I think it’s Poison Oak.”

“Damn it, why didn’t you say something earlier? This stuff really itches. Hey, Stiles, wait!” Scott huffed but Stiles could hear him scratching instead of following him.

Stiles hightailed it back toward the settlement. He didn’t take the most direct route because he was still worried he would lead trouble back to them. It wasn’t that he distrusted Scott neccessarily but he didn’t trust the other Janus-faced bastards who had turned their backs on him without even giving him a chance.

Skirting around another cluster of potentially itch-causing shrubs, Stiles paused at the edge of a clearing to look around.

Allison was to his left, staring toward Stiles. Her face broke into a smile when she spotted him.

He smiled back in response. How could he not? She really was glorious to behold. Statusque with long, flowing dark hair, porcelain skin, a body to die for...yep, Stiles was physically attracted to her. 

It wasn’t just her body though; Allison was smart, clever and funny. She was a dream. Too bad she couldn’t be Stiles’s dreamgirl. 

Something moved to the right of Stiles’s peripheral vision and before he could even catalog the threat, his feet were moving.

Someone was running toward Allison. It was a male. He had to be Janus-faced unless he was like Stiles, someone unaffected by the virus. Nope, his movements were too sure-footed, too fast, to be human.

Allison was screaming something but Stiles’s ears were ringing as his pulse pounded loudly in his ear. He sprinted forward with everything he had, colliding with the guy.

It was a bit like running into a stone wall. Stiles wrapped his arms around the guy’s legs even as the wind was knocked from his lungs.

The guy was Matt Daehler. 

Crazy Matt who Stiles had suspected stalked Allison back in high school. He was always following her around, camera in hand. Creepy.

Hell no, Stiles wasn’t going to let this guy get close to Allison. He held on with everything he had even though he took a kick to his stomach and a slap to his face.

His vision grayed around the edges but Stiles refused to let go.

A final whack to the head defeated him.

-0-

Allison grinned as Stiles broke into the clearing. He had an overflowing bag slung over his body diagonally. She hoped he’d found some asperagus. 

He smiled back in response.

Stiles was breathtaking although she knew he’d never believe her. He was still too lean but he had the perfect little body. Wide shoulders tapered down to a small waist. His limbs were long and coltishly graceful. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of brown she’d ever seen. She could go on cataloguing his physical attributes but he was perfect in other ways. Intelligent. Loyal. Brave.

The object of her attention flinched and began running at an oblique angle from Allison.

Someone else was in the clearing.

“Stiles, no!” Allison sprinted toward the Janus-faced male who was on a collision course with Stiles. What was he thinking, putting himself in harm’s way?

Stiles seemed intent on proving his loyalty and bravery in some misguided attempt at protecting her even though she didn’t need it. What had happened to his intelligence? Ugh. Boys.

The bodies collided and Allison flinched even as she withdrew her bow from her back and notched an arrow. 

Matt Daehler growled as he struggled in Stiles’s grasp. She saw Stiles collapse to the ground after Matt’s fist found his temple. It was a good thing Daehler’s claws weren’t out otherwise Stiles would be ripped to shreds.

“Move away from him. Now.” Allison didn’t have to make her voice hard; she was seething with anger and her words were clipped.

Daehler heaved to his knees and stared at Allison with matched hatred. Good; they understood each other.

“What’s the matter, Allison? Did I hurt your plaything?” Daehler sneered.

Allison didn’t like the way his attention roamed over Stiles’s inert body. He was too close and could do too much damage.

“I said move away from him.”

Daehler’s face partially shifted. It looked painful and Allison might’ve ordinarilly felt some sympathy for him but a) he had been an A-Grade douche before the virus and she doubted that had changed and b) his eyes gleamed with something disturbing. Insanity?

The Janus-faced male leaned over Stiles but his regard never left Allison’s face. “What’s he to you? He’s a freak! A pale, weak human who’s good for nothing.” The words were growled but the light lisp accompanying them diminshed the chilling delivery.

Daehler’s fangs had dropped and were visible which would explain the lisp. Allison didn’t like how this was playing out. She should’ve broken Daehler’s neck in gym when she’d had the chance. 

“Move away from Stiles now or I’ll end you.” Allison held the crossbow in front of her but it would only take a second to pull it up and loose the arrow. 

Daehler’s face contorted and he lunged forward, claws extended, attacking the unconscious human.

Allison pulled the bow up and as promised, loosed the bow.

“No!”

She recognized the voice. Scott. Just what they needed, more drama.

Allison nocked another arrow. She didn’t want to kill her former boyfriend with the wolfsbane tipped arrow but she would if he left her no choice.

“Shit, Stiles!” Scott approached cautionsly, one eye on Allison and another on his best friend.

“Don’t touch him. Move away and you won’t get hurt.” 

Scott turned his big brown eyes on her and at one time that would’ve been enough to make her melt. Now she didn’t trust him.

After all, he’d hurt Stiles.

“I would never hurt Stiles.” Scott didn’t make any sudden moves but he also didn’t move away.

Allison snorted. “You did hurt Stiles. You abandoned him. Now take your dead friend and get off of our territory.” Allison kept the crossbow trained on Scott. She couldn’t afford a show of weakness.

“What’s going on here.” Allison didn’t recognize the new voice and she wasn’t going to move her attention from her current target. 

Scott held his hands out in a pleading manner. “It’s okay, Derek. Matt attacked Stiles and Allison killed him. I saw everything.” 

“We’re sorry for tresspassing on your territory.” The words didn’t exactly ring with sincerety but Allison didn’t detect malicious intent. 

“I’d appreciate it if you took your dead friend and left the area.” Maybe this Derek would listen.

“He wasn’t our friend, more a pain in the ass than anything else. Of course we’ll see to him. Despite what Matt did, we don’t mean you any harm.” Soft footfalls brought the new player, Derek, into view. The man stood behind Scott.

Allison blew a piece of hair floating in front of her face; it shifted for a moment and then settled right back into place, partially obscuring her view. Maybe she’d cut some bangs when this situation was sorted out.

Derek flashed what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile; he came off more like a serial killer. “Do you think we could set up a meeting? We would like to request a summit. We’re interested in peaceful coexistence.” 

Her eyebrow rose as she looked at the dead Janus-faced male at her feet and then back at Derek. Daehler’s actions hadn’t exactly proclaimed peaecful coexistance but he’d been a wildcard even before the virus. She’d try not to hold his actions against the others. At least if Stiles was okay.

Stiles groaned and shifted, rolling on to his back.

Scott reached toward him but Allison hissed. “Get away from him now.”

“Scott.” Derek put a hand on Scott’s shoulder. Scott’s lips pulled into a mutinous line but he didn’t argue.

Allison kept steady eye contact with Derek. “We’ll meet in one week. Here. You’ll be safe unless you show aggression. If that happens we’ll go to war.” Allison wasn’t one for violence as the only solution but she knew she had to show strength. There was absolutely no room for weakness or the other side would take advantage of them.

Of Stiles.

Lydia had talked about pursuing a peace treaty and this would be an opportunity to see if they could make it work with the males.

Derek pulled Scott to his feet. They gathered up their dead comrade between them and backed away. “Thank you.” Derek nodded respectfully.

They melted into the tree line and when Allison sensed they had left the area she moved to Stiles’s side. “Hey, just lie still.”

Stiles blinked up at Allison but his eyes didn’t seem able to track her when she set the crossbow within easy reach and leaned over him.

“Allison?” Stiles seemed confused and she now began to worry he’d sustained a serious injury.

“What were you thinking, Stiles?” It was more a rhetorical question but she was both anxious and frustrated. 

Stiles put his hand up and touched the side of his head where Daehler had hit him. “Ow. I had to stop him, didn’t want him to hurt you.”

“So instead he hurt you! You can’t go throwing yourself in harm’s way like that, Stiles.” Allison huffed. 

Her hands patted down Stiles’s limbs and nothing seemed broken. He was going to have another pretty colleciton of bruises though. The red skin quickly darkening on his stomach made her wonder about internal bleeding and he still seemed to be having problems with his vision.

Stiles grabbed her hand. “I’m sorry. I thought you were in danger and I wasn’t going to let him lay a finger on you. I think he’s crazy.”

“I think you’re right, he was crazy. Now he’s dead.” Allison tilted Stiles’s head so she could get a better look at his pupils. They seemed to be even although they were much larger than usual, eating up the pretty brown.

“Oh. Are you okay with that?” Stiles’s voice was small and he squinted up at Allison.

“He was going to kill you.” As fas as Allison was concerned, that was reason enough. 

No one was going to hurt Stiles, not if she had any say in the matter.

“Come on, let’s get you back to the settlement.” Allison scooped an arm beneath Stiles’s knees and the other behind his back. She grabbed the crossbow with the hand bracing his legs and stood upright.

Stiles didn’t argue with her about being carried which told her more about his injuries than any words could do.

“Thanks, Ally.” Stiles whispered as he rested his head against her shoulder and closed his eyes.

She hitched him closer to her body. If anyone gave her any crap about Stiles being weak she was going to throw down and settle things the old fashioned way—in a fight.

Stiles had tried to prevent Daehler from hurting her.

Stiles’s masculinity wasn’t threatened by Allison’s strength.

Allison was screwed; she was pretty sure she was in love with her ex-boyfriend’s best friend.

-0-

Stiles ached all over and he wasn’t being a drama queen. Stomach. Face. Even his little toe hurt, probably from falling awkwardly when he’d knocked Daehler off of his feet. 

He’d been lulled to sleep as Allison had carried him home. He knew he should be embarassed by letting a female cart him around but a) he couldn’t have walked home, not with the dizzyness he was experiencing, b) she was bigger than him, hell everyone was bigger than he was these days, and c) it actually felt nice that after a year of incessant worrying, someone else was looking out for him.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Allison’s voice was gentle.

Stiles cracked his eyes open and there were two Allisons staring down on him. There was also an awful ringing in his ears. _This sucked._

Allison kneeled down next to their pallet and put a wet cloth across his forehead. “I know it sucks. Lydia is getting some pain reliever for you.” 

Whoops. He hadn’t realized he had spoken aloud.

“Stiles, what were you thinking? You should never get between me and the enemy.” Her tone was chiding but her touch was gentle as she smoothed his too long hair away from his brow.

“Allison,” Stiles had to pause as his voice cracked, “I could never stand by and watch someone hurt you. I can’t help it, I’m very protective of the people I love.” He wanted to explain more but Allison’s gasp drowned out coherent thought.

Stiles eyelids, which had slipped close, sprang open. “What’s wrong?”

The beautiful woman leaned over and brushed her lips against his. She drew back, tears shimmering in her eyes. “You just make me so happy.”

“Apparently the patient is doing better if you’re kissing him. Unless that’s a new medical treatment.” Lydia grumbled from the doorway.

There was a time that had Lydia had been ‘it’ for Stiles. Beautiful. Smart. Sassy. She paled in comparison to Allison.

Wow, when had that happened? Stiles hoped it wasn’t his head injury making him loopy.

“Here, I brough some Tylenol. Since I don’t have the equipment to do a scan I don’t want Stiles to have anything that will thin out his blood. It’s not strong but it should take the edge off.” Lydia sounded amused but Stiles was too busy trying not to drown in the water Allison was pouring into his mouth. Her hand cradled his neck, holding him up so he wouldn’t choke, as he swallowed the pills and flushed them down with the fluid.

Once Allison was satisfied he wasn’t going to aspirate, she lowered him back to the pallet.

Lydia cleared her throat. “Allison, can I talk to you?” 

“We can talk here. I’m not leaving Stiles alone.” Allison’s tone was even but brooked no argument.

Stiles closed his eyes and willed the Tylenol to work quickly.

“I wanted to talk to you about the meeting next week with the duos pedes stat lupi.” It took Stiles a momet to realize Lydia was talking about Scott and his new buddies. 

Allison sighed. “We’ll have to put it to a vote but I think they want permission to come on our territory to hunt.”

“I think it would be worth it to give them those rights. It would be good to have an ally if another group threatens us although I really can’t imagine anyone else out maneuvering us.” Lydia sounded confident but not cocky.

“What is it? You have that look on your face.” Allison scolded her friend but Stiles could hear the humor in her tone. He might’ve joined in but Allison was smoothin her fingers through his hair and it was having a tranquilizing effect on him.

“Some of the femina bellator are interested in letting the duos pedes stat lupis in our territory for other reasons.” Lydia no longer sounded confident. Stiles would characterize her tone as tentative. This wasn’t Lydia-like behavior at all.

Stiles frowned and Allison’s fingers smoothed the skin between his eyes. Is this how dogs felt when they were being petted?

Wait, where were the dogs? Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen a single dog since the transmutation hit Beacon Hills. 

“Shhh, try to relax,” Allison soothed, her fingers rubbing gentle circles on his face, down his neck and to his shoulders, somehow avoiding all of the sore spots.

Stiles must’ve drifted off but he came to when he heard Lydia finish her sentence with the word _sex_.

“So you’re telling me you want to let the Janus-faced on to our territory so you can have sex?” Allison demanded in a hiss.

“Well the rest of us don’t have a sex kitten at our beck and call.” Lydia groused.

_Sex kitten?_

“Fine. We’ll call a meeting, discuss it and put it a vote. Now if you’ll excuse us, Stiles needs his rest.” Allison dismissed her friend but he barely paid attention as they parted, seemingly on good terms, as he realized Allison hadn’t denied Lydia’s words.

Once Lydia was gone and Allison had returned, perching next to him, Stiles forced his eyelids upward. “You let her think I’m your sex kitten?”

Allison actually blushed. The pink shaded her creamy white skin, fanning out across her cheekbones before moving down her throat and coloring the upper mounds of her breasts.

Stiles was fascinated with those mounds. He tried desparately not to stare because it was rude and Allison was his friend but yeah...he might’ve been a bit obsessed. After all, his anatomy was lacking in that department and he’d always been curious. He wanted to touch them, weigh them in his palms, knead—

“Stiles! If you don’t stop that I’m going to think you want something else.” Allison leaned backward but she didn’t leave the room. In fact she looked intrigued.

“Are you saying you’d be interested in, um, sexy times?” Stiles’s voice didn’t crack but it was a near thing. Despite the pain his body was in his dick was making a valiant effort in chubbing up.

Allison giggled. Sure, Stiles had heard her giggle before but that was _before_. Did six-foot-four Amazons really giggle?

“Stiles, you have to know I find you very attractive. Don’t tease me.” All traces of girlishness were gone from Allison’s voice.

“I, uh, no? I mean I’m Scott’s, well at least I was, his best friend so I didn’t think you would ever look at me that way?” Every sentence he spoke ended with an interrogative and Stiles supposed it was a good sign that his mind was clear enough to be thinking about grammatical structures but his brain was still trying to figure out what Allison meant.

Allison folded her arms and wow, just wow. Her cleavage was magnificient.

“Eyes up here, mister.” The flirtatious tone was back and Stiles wondered if you really could suffer whiplash from words.

“Allison, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen but isn’t it kind of a betrayel of the bro-code?” Stiles was still firmly stuck in inerrogative land.

The smile she flashed was lopsided and held no joy. “I can’t tell you how to feel, Stiles. I only know what you’ve told me and that’s that Scott said he’d return, he didn’t, and you were left dealing with that sadist, Harris. I’m not saying Scott is a bad guy but things have definitely changed since he left you to fend for yourself.”

Stiles shifted, trying to get more comfortable. 

Allison reached forward as though she wanted to touch him but pulled her hands back, biting her lip.

“I think you’re right. The bro-code no longer applies. When I feel better do you think we could talk about this again?” Stiles’s eyelids were too heavy to hold up.

It was very sad that here Stiles had someone whom he cared for—okay, loved—offering to have sex with him and he couldn’t even enjoy it.

Stiles had always held a traditional view of sex in that the male should take the lead and the woman would be more submissive. He absolutely couldn’t imagine that happening with the female goddess before him.

Could Stiles submit to this very sexy woman? Hell to the yes. Absolutely.

He drifted off to sleep, pleased when a warm body snuggled next to him

There would be time enough in the coming days to figure things out.

At least that was his hope.

-0-

The Amazons fanned out behind Allison. To a woman they had their right hands on the weapon of their choice and their left hand was loose and at their sides.

Watchful waiting.

Allison nodded and Scott moved away from his Janus-faced posse. She recognized former friends, like Isaac, and kids from classes like Boyd, and then there was the broody leader of the pack, Derek, who was years older. And Lydia’s former boyfriend, Jackson. If she stared some more Allison was sure she’d recognize more faces but right now it was important they got this meeting underway before someone got twitchy and started a war.

“Thank you for coming.” Allison stepped forward, holding her hand out.

Scott looked at Allison’s hand, then her face. His fangs dropped and he groaned, face contorting as she assumed he worked to keep his shift from occurring. 

The funny thing was, it didn’t matter to her. Allison didn’t care that the males in front of her could shift and had been presumed to be the enemy. No, she cared about keeping her sisters safe.

Keeping her Stiles safe.

She felt a twinge of guilt because keeping Stiles safe was her highest priority although she hadn’t said it in words. Her actions, she thought, spoke louder though.

Scott finally deigned to take her hand. Allison might’ve derived more satisfaction than she should by applying a startling amount of pressure to her grip. She no longer needed a big, strong guy to protect her although she would argue she never had.

Allison cleared her throat and then began to speak in a loud, clear voice. “We’re interested in having you as allies. A peace treaty, if you will. Are you interested?”

The older guy, Derek, stepped forward, as the other males fidgeted or murmured softly. He grimaced and Allison might have taken umbrage but she was pretty sure that was his default expression. “We’re interested but we have some concerns.”

“Of course. Why don’t you tell us what you’re interested in?” Allison invited. Her attention was focused on the male with a hyperintensity. If there was going to be an issue, she felt it would happen now.

Derek seemed nonplussed at Allison’s invitation. He pulled himself together, nodding. “Okay. We would like permission to hunt in your territory.”

“Agreed.” If Derek had seemed nonplussed before he was now gaping, mouth open and eyes slowly blinking, stunned.

“Well can we be in your territory when we’re not hunting? Some of the pack have expressed an interest in, um...” Derek’s words trailed off and this time he fidgeted, looking down at the ground.

Allison wasn’t trying to embarass her counterpart but he was making it difficult. Rolling her eyes she tried to fill in the blanks. “Sex?”

Derek startled enough he staggered back a step, putting more distance between them. He lifted his face, expression one Allison could only classify as horrofied. “Excuse me?” His voice was maybe not a full octave higher but considering the guy’s range was already higher than expected it was a bit funny.

“I said sex. As in your pack is interested in coming into this territory to have sex. If that’s what you were asking then we agree. Of course each woman will agree to or decline sexual overtures on their own terms.” Allison was on the point of fidgeting herself. She and Lydia had discussed inviting some of the Janus-faced to a sit down and she was regretting they hadn’t gone with that option because this standing around while the other side gawped at them was excruciating with boredom. 

Ugh.

Scott sidled up to Derek and in a too loud whisper asked, “What about Stiles?”

Derek pulled himself up to his full height which was still a good six or so inches shorter than her own. “We would also like Stiles to join our pack.”

“No. Stiles is a part of the sisterhood.” Lydia’s voice rang out from Allison’s right flank.

Jackson brayed a laugh and despte his handsome looks Allison thought he’d never looked more like a jack-ass. “I always knew Stilinski was a chick.”

Lydia growled her outrage and Allison had to throw her arm out, barring her friend from stomping over and knocking down Jackson, smashing his face into the ground. It’s not that Allison disagreed but she still thought things could be sorted peacably. 

Before she determined a course of action one of the pack—oh, it was Danny Māhealani, Jackson’s best friend—kicked the offensive party, connecting with Jackson’s bent knees, dropping him to the ground.

A good portion of the Janus-faced tittered or guffawed and it seemed to all be aimed at Jackson. 

Allison turned her attention back to Derek. “Stiles stays with us. That’s non-negotiable.”

“But how do we know you’re not holding him against his will?” Scott aggressively gnawed his lip. Allison thought fleetingly of how happy the boy had made her once upon a time, her very first boyfriend, but then she thought of someone else who occupied space in her heart.

“Scott, you hurt Stiles when you left him behind. If Stiles wants to see you, we’ll arrange something but for right now you need to leave him alone. Leave us both alone.” Allison stared into those chocolate brown eyes that used to melt her heart and she felt mild affection for what once was but Scott no longer held sway over her.

Scott nodded his head, expression morose, as he faded backward. Isaac clapped him on the shoulder, jostling him, seeking his attention. Her one time friend, hopefully future friend, would be okay.

Allison would be able to concentrate on Stiles.

“Do you want to meet again tomorrow to hammer out details?” Allison made the offer, eager to get back to her heart.

“That would be fine. Same time and place?” Derek asked for clarification.

“Why don’t we finish this over midday meal so a little earlier? We can meet right here again.” Allison heard the agreement rippling behind her; the sisterhood was pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

Derek put his hand out and Allison took it. She didn’t feel the need to exert her strength and Derek’s grip was equally business-like.

The two sides had a deal, or at least the beginnings of one.

It was past time to head back. She had someone waiting for her.

-0-

Stiles met the returning crew at the edge of the encampment. “How did it go?” He didn’t bother to aim his question at any one person, he just needed details, fast.

Allison’s dimples twinkled at him. “It went very well. Both parties agreed that they could come into our territory for hunting and, let me see if I recall your exact phrasing, sexy times? Yes, that was it. Hunting and sexy times.”

His mouth falling open, Stiles gaped. “You did not say that. Please lie to me if you have to but I need to know you didn’t use those words.”

Erica threw her head back and laughed. It took a moment before she composed herself enough to answer. “I would’ve loved that but no, Derek Hale stuttered and stumbled over the request until Allison put him out of his misery.”

Something about Erica’s explanation left Stiles unsettled. “Um, did you agree to have sex with Derek Hale?”

Stiles would say his heart was breaking but he actually felt numb. They hadn’t had time to talk about their feelings with Stiles waiting for his bruises to mend and his headaches to abate and then Allison working out a plan for this meeting.

Allison hustled forward and drew Stiles carefully into a hug. It meant Stiles’s face was buried in her breasts but the usual zing of sexual desire was missing this time. 

He felt gutted.

“Stiles, I’m not having sexy times with anyone but you.” She leaned backward and tipped his face up, her index finger beneath his chin exerting slight pressure.

Oh. 

Oh!

Stiles wanted to bury his face back against Allison’s warm flesh but Lydia’s high voice broke the intimate moment. “Whittemore is still a complete asshole.”

Blinking hard, Stiles eased away from Allison. “I didn’t know Jackson was with Scott’s group?”

Actually Stiles had only been aware of Isaac and Derek. Stiles actively hated Jackson for many reasons but he was sort of pleased to know his one time nemesis was still alive.

Erica slapped Stiles’s shoulder, misjudging her strength as usual, and he careened into Allison who caught him and kept him upright. The blond cackled again. “Hey, Stiles, Lydia defended your manhood.”

Allison took his elbow and led him away from the women. “Come on, I’ll tell you more about it.”

Stiles was happy to follow wherever Allison led but he was particularly happy when they ended up in their shared two-room homestead.

“Hey, Allison, can I tell you something?” Stiles knew if he didn’t share his epiphany—that he had feelings for his friend—he never would so he plunged onward. “You know I love you, right? But I think, no I know, I love you in a sexy times kind of way, too. It’s official.”

His pronouncement was greeted with silence and he buried his face in his hands. “Oh, no, I spoiled things didn’t I? Let me just get my stuff and I’ll be out of your hair.”

Stiles looked anywhere but at Allison as he stumbled around. 

“Stiles.” Allison’s voice was soft but still commanding. He shivered like he always did when she took control. “Hey, look at me.”

Once again Allison lifted his chin but this time she had to brush his hands from his face. He felt mortified, both because he knew she couldn’t possibly want him but also at the way his body was reacting to her.

Gulping audibly, Stiles made himself look at her face. “I’m looking.” Wow, was his voice always that breathy?

Allison groaned and yanked him forward until their bodies collided. Before he could figure out how to get their body parts lined up, she solved the problem.

She always was an excellent problem solver.

Strong yet feminine hands grasped his waist and Stiles was lifted until their groins were at the same level. Stiles wrapped his thighs around her waist as she cupped his ass, angling him so his extremely interested cock rubbed against her mound of Venus.

Both of them groaned.

Stiles was dropped down onto their pallet without any warning. “Oooof.” He wasn’t hurt but he was surprised and Allison’s clever hands wrestled his clothing from his shocked body.

“This isn’t a dream, right? Pinch me.” Stiles squirmed, trying to help ease his jeans down his legs.

Allison grabbed on to his straining dick, through his briefs, and squeezed. “Does that qualify as a pinch?”

Stiles lost his ability to speak as Allison moved him where she wanted him before she reached into the container on her side of the bed and retrieved something.

Why was Allison pausing to get something right-the-fuck now when they were finally going to have sex?

Oh.

Oh!

A crinkling wrapper caught Stiles’s attention. Allison’s clever hands rolled and then smoothed a condom in place over his straining dick.

This was really happening.

Stiles’s brain short-circuited as he felt immense pressure squeezing his dick. His eyes rolled back into his head at the incredible sensation.

He was having sex with the most amazing woman. 

Allison was leaning over him and her breasts were practically spilling out of her bodice and Stiles couldn’t help himself as he reached forward, both hands cupping the full mounds.

They weighed more than he thought and he tugged them out from beneath the cloth covering them so he could rub the pink areoles with his thumbs. The skin in that area was dimpled and sensitive to the touch. The perky purple-pink nipples were the prize though. 

Stiles pinched one nipple and then the other, captivated by the way blood surged to the surface of Allison’s skin and the flesh beaded up into tight nubs. He wanted to bury his face between the mounds and lick and bite but Allison bounced up and down and…

Stiles lost track of things after that. The sensations overwhelming but in a fantastic way.

“Stiles, honey, open your eyes.” Warm skin touched the side of his face and Stiles’s brain slowly rebooted.

Allison was leaning over him, breasts still spilling out of her loose top, her long hair in disarray around her face.

His mouth curved into a smile as he blinked up at the beautiful sight.

Allison leaned over him until their lips met and Stiles followed her lead, his tongue chasing hers, groaning as his dick made a valiant but unsuccessful attempt to rise to the occasion.

“There you are. I thought I broke you.” Allison licked at his lips, staring down at him, eyes smiling.

“Broke me in the best possible way. You’re incredible.” Stiles pushed a hank of hair behind Allison’s delicate ear so he could see her stunning face better.

The last thing he saw before his body gave into exhausted happiness was a deep dimple creasing each cheek.

Heaven.

-0-

Allison dampened a cloth and cleaned both of them up to the best of her ability. Tomorrow they’d head down to the lake and take a proper bath but for now she was interested in cuddling with her man. Her pliant, sleepy, sex addled man.

Sex with Stiles had been over more quickly than she would’ve hoped for but he’d definitely satisfied her. He seemed content to follow her lead but he’d participated fully, touching and stroking with complete enthusiasm.

His cock was a thing of beauty. Long and thick enough to get the job done but it was also somehow delicate. It had a certain grace. Just like Stiles.

Allison wasn’t naïve enough to think everything would be roses and champagne from here on out. Stiles’s self-esteem had taken a hit and he’d been emotionally abused—more like terrorized—at the hands of his former teacher. She knew he viewed Scott’s leaving him behind as abandonment and although her ex-boyfriend seemed to do it out of some attempt at protecting Stiles, he’d really hurt his friend. She hoped with some patience on her part, Stiles would feel more secure. 

The thought of Stiles leaving her made her dizzy. She’d quickly come to depend on him. He gave her purpose and a reason to fight. With Stiles at her side the days of boredom were long gone.

The Janus-faced pack presented a different set of problems but she was no longer jittery and restless. 

Now that the love between them was no longer in question Allison felt complete. Her mind wandered to the duality teachings of Yin and Yang while her hand stroked Stiles’s silky strands away from his face.

She remembered something about contrary forces and how they might actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. Suddenly the Janus-faced pack and their duality took on a different complexion.

“You’re thinking so hard I can feel it.” Stiles’s voice was soft and hoarse.

“Then maybe you’d better distract me.” Allison’s hand wandered lower and she played with the soft hair below Stiles’s bellybutton.

Stiles shifted away, huffing a breath. “Quit tickling me.”

Allison wanted to tickle Stiles until he was breathless. Maybe even tie him up while she tickled and played with him, but only if he was into it.

She had a hunch Stiles would be willing try anything at least once.

For now she settled with drawing Stiles against her until he was on his stomach, his head pillowed against her breasts, his leg between her legs.

“What happened to the dogs?” Stiles’s words slurred a bit and Allison was sure he was going to drop off to sleep any second.

Dogs? Allison would quiz him about that later. She hadn’t figured out how Stiles’s brain worked but she was completely enchanted by his thought processes.

She was completely enchanted with his body, too. She’d particularly liked the way his long, nimble fingers had played with her breasts. Later Allison would see if Stiles wanted more sex but for now she wanted to cuddle him close and keep him safe.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to explore all of the possibilities.

Finis

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This is the only Allison/Stiles story I wrote for this bingo season but it was a highly enjoyable exercise.


End file.
